Tool

ABSTRACT

THE DISCLOSURE IS DIRECTED TO A TOOL FOR INSTALLI NG AND REMOVING BUS CONNECTORS FROM A PLURALITY OF CONTACT PINS OF A MULTI-PIN CONNECTOR BOARD. THE TOOL CONSISTS OF TWO END FACES EACH OF WHICH HAS A PLURALITY OF APERTURES THEREIN SUFFICIENT IN DIAMETER AND DEPTH TO RECEIVE THEREIN THE CONTACT PINS OF SAID BOARD. A BUS CONNECTOR WILL BE APPLIED TO THE UPPERMOST PORTION OF THE PINS THEN THE PIN TIPS WILL BE INTRODUCED INTO THE APERTURES WITHIN SAID TOOL AND THE TOOL BY FORCING DOWNWARDLY THEREON WILL CAUSE THE BUS CONNECTOR TO TAKE A POSITION ADJACENT THE SURFACE OF THE BOARD ITSELF. THE APERTURES ARE CHAMFERED AT THEIR ENTRY TO FACILITATE THE ENTRY OF THE CONTACT PINS WITHIN THE APERTURES AND ALSO TO PROVIDE DESIRED RELIEF FOR DEFORMANCE OF ANY MATERIAL OF THE BUS CONNECTOR ABOUT THE PIN AS THE PIN IS INSERTED. THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE TOOL ARE OF DIFFERENT LENGTHS SO THAT EACH MAY ACCOMMODATE A DIFFERENT NUMBER OF APERTURES TO BE USED FOR SHORT OR LONG BUS CONECTORS. IN ADDITION, PROVISION IS MADE FOR THE INCLUSION OF AN EXTRACTING PLATE ADJACENT EITHER, OR BOTH, OF THE ENDS WHICH EXTRACTION PLATE MAY BE USED TO REMOVE A BUS CONNECTOR ALREADY POSITIONED UPON THE CONTACT PINS. THE EXTRACTION PLATE CONSISTS OF A COMB-LIKE END HAVING A PLURALITY OF SLOTS OF SUFFICIENT SIZE TO GO ABOUT THE CONTACT PINS. THE EXTRACTION PLATE IS MOVABLE FROM AFIRST POSITION OUR OF CONTACT WITH THE PINS TO A SECOND POSITION IN CONTACT WITH THE PINS THIS TRAPPING THE BUS CONNECTOR THEREBETWEEN AND UPON THE APPLICATION OF FORCE TO THE TOOL, IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM THE BOARD, THE BUS CONNECTOR MAY BE REMOVED THEREWITH.

19.71 E. J. CASTELLANI 3, 5

Filed Nov, 1, 1968 INVENTOR EDWARD J. CASTELLANI JZW'M AT TOIRNE Y United States Patent O 3,559,267 TOOL Edward J. Castellani, South Plainfield, N.J., assignor to Thomas & Betts Corporation, Elizabeth, NJ. Filed Nov. 1, 1968, Ser. No. 772,584 Int. Cl. H05k 13/04 US. Cl. 29-203 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The disclosure is directed to a tool for installing and removing bus connectors from a plurality of contact pins of a multi-pin connector board. The tool consists of two end faces each of which has a plurality of apertures therein sufficient in diameter and depth to receive therein the contact pins of said board. A bus connector will be applied to the uppermost portion of the pins then the pin tips will be introduced into the apertures within said tool and the tool by forcing downwardly thereon will cause the bus connector to take a position adjacent the surface of the board itself. The apertures are chamfered at their entry to facilitate the entry of the contact pins within the apertures and also to provide desired relief for deformance of any material of the bus connector about the pin as the pin is inserted. The opposite ends of the tool are of different lengths so that each may accommodate a different number of apertures to be used for short or long bus connectors. In addition, provision is made for the inclusion of an extracting plate adjacent either, or both, of the ends which extraction plate may be used to remove a bus connector already positioned upon the contact pins. The extraction plate consists of a comb-like end having a plurality of slots of sufiicient size to go about the contact pins. The extraction plate is moveable from a first position out of contact with the pins to a second position in contact with the pins thus trapping the bus connector therebetween and upon the application of force to the tool, in a direction away from the board, the bus connector may be removed therewith.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS Bus connectors described herein are described and claimed in copending application entitled, Bus Connector, by Edward J. Castellani, Serial Number 772,546, filed Nov. 1, 1968.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The invention is employed in the field of grouping together, or busing, a plurality of contact pins on a multipin connector board.

Description of the prior art Prior art devices of the type generally described herein are not found, in that connections between adjacent contact pins of a multi-pin connector board are achieved by means of terminals wired, or jumpered, together, or by the direct jumpering of contact pins by means of soldering conductors or jumper wire thereto.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention provides a simple tool for the installation of bus connectors of the type described in the copending application cited above. It provides a simple tool having at its two ends a plurality of apertures for receipt therein of the contact pins of a multi-pin connector board. The first end is shorter than the second end in order to accommodate different lengths of bus connectors. Inter- "ice vening side members between the two end portions are shaped to permit the tool to be easily grasped in the hand and to apply force to it regardless of which end is made to engage the contact pins. The spacing of the aper tures is the same as the center to center spacing of the contact pins and the depth of the apertures are suflicient to accommodate therein the entire height of the contact pins above the contact board. The entrances to the apertures are chamfered such as to permit easy insertion of the pins into the apertures and to permit relief area for any expansion of material as a result of the bus connector being forced upon the contact pins. Further, an extractor plate may be provided at one or 'both ends of the tool to facilitate the removal of bus connectors already assembled on the contact pins of a multi-pin connector board. The extractor plate is :fastened to the tool at one of its ends and the second end is free to move in cantilever fashion. The free end of the extractor plate is comb-like with a plurality of slots equal in spacing with the center to center distance of the contact pins and of sufiicient size to accommodate therein such contact pins. The tool is positioned with the extractor plate in a first position out of contact with the contact pin and pressed to the level of the board and in contact with the bus connector. The extractor plate is then moved to a position under the bus connector and with the contact pins entering the slots of the extractor plate. The tool is then moved in the direction away from the board taking with it the trapped bus connector. It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a tool for the easy assembly of bus connectors to the contact pins of a multi-pin connector board.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a simple, inexpensive tool for the installation and removal of bus connectors from contact pins.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a tool to accommodate different bus connector lengths.

Other objects and features of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose, by way of example, the principles of the invention, and the best modes which have been contemplated for carrying them out.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a tool constructed in accordance with the concepts of the invention showing a portion thereof partially fragmented.

FIG. 2 is a top view of one end of the tool of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the tool of FIG. 1 showing the manner in which it is employed to install bus connectors to the contact pins of a multi-pin connector board.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an extraction plate employed with a further embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the extraction plate of FIG. 4 coupled to the tool of FIG. 1.

Similar elements will be given similar reference characters in each of the respective figures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Turning now to FIGS. 1 and 2 there is shown a tool 10 constructed in accordance with the concepts of the in- Vention. Tool 10 has a first end 12 and a second end 14, end 14 being of greater length than 12. Placed within each of the ends 12 and 14 are a plurality of apertures 16 which may be better appreciated from FIG. 2. Each of the apertures is chamfered as at 18 to provide easy access to the apertures 16. In addition, the chamfered portion 18 will provide relief for the deforming material of the bus connector during its installation to the contact pins. The end 12 is similarly equipped with a plurality of apertures not shown in the view. To facilitate the use of the tool varying aperture arrangements dependent upon the number of contact pins involved may be made. Sides 20 are provided with notches 22 to permit the tool 10 to be grasped and easily employed for the insertion of bus connectors, or the withdrawal of bus connectors from the contact pins. Any other convenient shape may also be employed.

Turning now to FIG. 3 there is shown the installation of a bus connector 30 upon the contact pins 32 of a multipin connector board 34. The bus connector 30 is placed as shown by the solid line at the top portion of the contact pins 32 at which time the tool 10 is brought into position such that the tips of the contact pins 32 will enter the apertures 16 in the end 12 of the tool 10. A force upon the tool 10, in the direction of board 34, will then force the contact pins 32 within the aperture 16 of the end 12 and will force the bus connector 30 down along the contact pins 32 from the position shown in solid line and that shown in dotted line adjacent the connector board 34. The tool 10 may then be withdrawn for use with other installations.

Turning now to FIG. 4 there is shown an extractor plate which may be employed with the tool 10 of the FIG. 1 for the extraction of bus connectors from the contact pins of a multi-pin connector board. The extractor plate 40 is formed as at 42 to provide a pivot whereupon the depression along the tab 44 will cause the opposite tab 46 to be displaced. Tab 46 extends at approximately right angles to the main portion of the plate 40 and is formed as at 48. A plurality of slots 50 spaced from one another by distance equal to the center to center spacing of the contact pins and of a size sufficient to accommodate the contact pins therein are provided along the tab 46. As is shown in FIG. the extractor plate is assembled to the tool by means of pins 52. With the application of force to the tab 44, away from tool 10, the plate 40 will take a position such that the slots 50 align themselves with the apertures 16 of the tool 10. However, upon the application of force toward the tool 10 upon the tab 44, extractor plate 40 will pivot tab 46 leaving the edge 14 of the tool 10 fully exposed.

In employing the tool for extraction purposes the tool 10 will be positioned such that the apertures 16 are placed over the contact pins and the tool 10 is moved downward- 1y so that the edge 14 is in contact with the bus connector. This is done while force is applied to the tab 44 of the extractor 40 to hold tab 46 away from the bus connector. After contact has been achieved between the edge 14 and the bus connector, force is applied to the tab 44 away from tool 10 and permitted to position the slots 50 in tab 46 about the pins thus trapping the bus connector between the edge 14 and the tab 46 of the extractor. Now

the application of force to the tool 10 in a direction away 4 from the board will cause the removal of the bus connector of the tool.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes of the form and details of the devices illustrated and in their operation may be made by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed is defined as follows:

1. A tool for positioning connectors on the contact pins of a multi-pin board, comprising: a body portion having a first end and a second end and a pair of sides; each of said first and said second ends having a plurality of apertures therein, said apertures being in selective, spaced apart adjacent relationship, being separated by a distance equal to the center to center spacing between said contact pins, and having a depth at least equal to the height of said contact pins to permit either one of said first or second ends of said tool to be positioned adjacent a plurality of contact pins in alignment with said apertures in said first or second end and disposed upon said contact pins to position a connector placed thereupon adjacent said board; and an extraction plate mounted adjacent either said first or said second end, said plate having a plurality of slots spaced apart by a distance equal to the center to center spacing of said contact pins; said plate being movable to a first position out of alignment with said apertures and to a second position in alignment with said apertures, whereby a connector positioned upon said contact pins may be positioned between one of said first or said second ends and said extraction plate in said second position and withdrawn from said contact pins as said tool is moved away from said board.

2. A tool, as defined in claim 1, wherein the lengths of said first and second ends are different and each has a different number of apertures.

3. A tool, as defined in claim 1, wherein said sides are notched to permit said tool to be grasped to position either said first or second end adjacent said contact pins.

4. A tool, as defined in claim 1, wherein the entrance to said apertures is chamfered to permit easy engagement of said contact pins with said apertures.

5. A tool, as defined in claim 1, wherein extraction plates are provided adjacent both said first and said second ends.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,454,326 11/1948 Makenny 29630 3,067,495 12/1962 Chase 29-203 THOMAS H. EAGER, Primary Examiner 

